APEx Surveyors

In order to be an ASTRO APEx Surveyor, one must satisfy all of the following:

• Be a U.S. licensed and board certified radiation oncologist or medical physicist;
• Be an ASTRO member;
• Be an experienced professional with at least five years of U.S. radiation oncology experience post licensing;
• Be currently engaged in active practice in a U.S. based radiation oncology practice (as defined in the APEx Accreditation Procedures);
• Agree to survey exclusively for the ASTRO APEx program;
• Agree to not accept any fee in exchange for consulting with respect to APEx accreditation or radiation oncology accreditation generally;
• Comply with all ongoing orientation and training requirements; and
• Be available to complete no less than one-day survey per quarter.

ASTRO also expects its surveyors to comply with all aspects of the Surveyor Agreement Business Associate's Agreement and all APEx Accreditation Procedures.

Surveyors are expected to maintain knowledge of the APEx Standards and be able to apply the knowledge when gathering facility data and reporting survey findings.

Surveyors must participate in professional development activities and orientation exercises designed for all APEx Surveyors. The goal of surveyor development is to help surveyors maintain and/or improve upon the knowledge and skills articulated within the surveyor competencies for APEx facility reviews. Surveyors also receive annual training in the requirements of HIPAA and its privacy, security, breach notification and enforcement regulations.

Surveyors are expected to have computer skills sufficient to allow them to collect data using current technologies and be able to complete survey forms in a timely manner at the facility. ASTRO will assign surveyors based on their familiarity with the facility’s EHR(s) and treatment planning system(s).

Surveyors are expected to exercise professional conduct and use appropriate communication in accordance with APEx Surveyor procedures before and during the facility visit and with facility staff.

1. Surveyors should describe their role to the facility, following the script provided by ASTRO.
2. Surveyors may not engage in communication with a facility about the facility visit.

Before accepting a facility visit assignment, the surveyor must consider his or her ability to act impartially in reviewing the facility and whether such impartiality could be impaired by any financial interest, personal relationship, commercial relationship or interest of the surveyor’s employer. Surveyors must actively engage in the identification, disclosure and resolution of any conflicts of interests which arise. To this end, surveyors are expected to:

1. Disclose any financial or contractual relationships with a facility under review that could create the perception of a conflict of interest in the accreditation process (e.g., employment, consulting arrangement, teaching position, working for a facility which is in competition with the facility under review, etc.).
2. Disclose any fiduciary relationships with a facility under review that could create a perception of a conflict of interest in the accreditation process (e.g., board membership, participation on a committee).
3. Disclose a personal or professional relationship with staff of a facility under review that could create a perception of a conflict of interest in the accreditation process (e.g., familial or professional relationship with key staff at the facility).

ASTRO expects a surveyor to abide by all surveyor-related policies and procedures, including but not limited to ASTRO’s travel policy, which requires surveyors to submit expense reimbursement forms within 14 days of a survey, and to provide ASTRO with conflict of interest information on an annual basis and as it changes.

All current (or potential) APEx Surveyors must agree to all of the following to continue as (or become) a surveyor.

• To the terms and conditions specified in the Surveyor Agreement.
• To the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy of the ASTRO website.
• To complete annual HIPAA training.
• To complete an annual statement of disclosure.
• To adhere to the survey processes and timelines as set forth by ASTRO.
• To serve as a mentor/resource to new surveyors.
• To conduct radiation oncology practice accreditation surveys only for ASTRO. (If you serve as a surveyor on behalf of another organization, you must formally relinquish your status as a surveyor before beginning APEx orientation).
• Not to accept any fee in exchange for consulting with respect to APEx accreditation or radiation oncology accreditation generally.
• That you have never been convicted of a criminal offense related to health care or the provision of services paid for by Medicare, Medicaid, or another federal health care program nor have you been excluded or debarred from Medicare, Medicaid or another federal health care program.
• To waive any right to view information submitted by professional references, materials in your application file and any materials related to its review.